Expectations and Concerns
Expectations arise from:
The opportunities that PET offers to investigate tissue patho-physiology, mechanisms of action and efficacy of treatments and hence its ability to help translate laboratory discoveries into experimental medicine and health care procedures.
The appreciable latency for exploiting PET across areas in internal medicine hitherto not developed.
The investments many organizations have already made or propose to make in PET. Some have installed cyclotron and radiochemistry technologies thereby providing the means to fully develop the use of PET. Others have established supplies of PET tracers from cyclotron distribution centers.
Weaknesses arise from:
PET being significantly underdeveloped in experimental medicine and hence has yet to fully impact as a clinical research procedure across internal medicine.
PET being expensive, complex to establish and exploit with concerns over maximizing scientific return on investment and financial sustainability.
There being an undeveloped consensus on how the future of PET will evolve in clinical research.
Many organizations being without individuals able to identify and address all the challenges. Such organizations could benefit from this new commercial approach to accessing advice.